Water Conservation

Power Shower

A power shower uses 80L of water in 5 min.

Ordinary Shower

An ordinary shower uses 35 litres in 5 minutes.

Bath

A bath uses about 70 litres of water.

Flushing

Flushing the toilet uses 9 litres of water per flush.

Washing Machine

A (new model) washing machine uses 50 litres of water.

Washing Hands

Washing your hands 5 times a day use 30 litres of water.

Cleaning

Washing the floors/windows uses 16 litres of water.

Irish Consumption

Avg daily water consumption in Ireland is approx. 150L.

WATER CONSERVATION FOR HOUSEHOLDERS

Understanding how much water we use and how making a few small changes to the way we use water in our homes can save water, energy and money:

Shower rather than bath - showers use only half the amount of water required for a bath.

Taking shorter showers - an average shower uses 10 litres of water per minute, so taking a shorter shower will save water.

Brushing your teeth or shaving - turn off the tap and save up to six litres of water per minute.

Toilet flushing - this one of the biggest water users in most homes. Consider only flushing the toilet when you really need to.

Toilet cistern bag - this device, available from DIY stores, when filled with water and inserted in the water cistern of your toilet displaces water volume in the tank so that every time you flush the toilet, less water is used.

Don’t tip away water that has been used to cook pasta, potatoes, eggs or similar. Once cool it is ideal for watering plants and can also act as a soil improver, thanks to the nutrients.

Running a tap until it turns cool can waste more than 10 litres a day. Keep topped-up bottles or jugs of ice-cold water in the fridge, ready to drink.

Full washing machine and dishwasher - make sure your washing machine and dishwasher are always fully loaded before putting on a wash it also saves money on energy bills.

Place a basin in the sink - for washing dishes by hand or collecting the water you use to rinse fruit and vegetables, which can then be used for watering plants.

Keep a jug of water in the fridge - instead of running the cold tap, which can waste 10 litres per day of water.

Choose the correct pot or pan size for cooking - remember to use the lid on a pot or pan when cooking to reduce the amount of water lost to evaporation, meaning you don’t have to keep adding water.

Fix dripping taps and hosepipes promptly - replace washers and fix overflows to avoid water wastage.

A dripping tap can reach 15 litres of water a day and a leaky toilet can waste up to 400 litres per day.

We often run the shower for 30 seconds to 1 minute before we get in to allow the water to warm up. Pop a bucket under the shower while this is happening, so the initial 8 litres or so of ‘waste’ water can be used to water plants or flush a toilet.

“Water is not only vital to the existence of life on planet Earth, but in its purest form, it is a giver of good health. As one of the most precious resources on this planet we need to make sure we take care of it’s limited resources.”

WATER CONSERVATION FOR FARMERS

Understanding how much water we use and how making a few small changes to the way we use water around the farm can save water, energy and money:

Check for overflowing troughs – overflowing drinking troughs and incorrectly set or damaged ball-valves can waste significant amounts of water. Adjust the ball valves to lower the float or replace faulty parts.

On dairy farms - cooling water can be diverted to a tank and used for parlour washing.

Fix dripping taps and hosepipes promptly - replace washers and fix overflows to avoid water wastage.

Running taps - do not leave taps unattended when running.

Use dry-cleaning techniques – use scrapers and brushes to remove solid waste from yards and pens before hosing or a small amount of water (e.g. one bucket) to pre-soak waste before cleaning.

Check your private pipework on the farm - inspect the ground above your pipes for visible signs of leaks such as unusually damp ground, lusher than expected vegetation (sign of recent leak) or reduced community / rush vegetation (consequence of a long-term leak).

Check water meters - Carry out ‘night flow’ tests on water meters to identify possible leaks. If the night usage is unusually high or the counter is still running when everything is turned off, you may have a leak.

“A full 70 percent of humanity’s fresh water supply is used to grow crops. Furthermore, freshwater fish, another major source of our diets and a large sector of the food chain, requires fresh water to survive. The more we pollute and/or abuse our water supply, the less likely we are to maintain a sustainable source of food as would all of Earth’s creatures.”

WATER CONSERVATION FOR BUSINESSES

Understanding how much water we use and how making a few small changes to the way we use water around our business can save water, energy and money:

Check your private pipework on your property - inspect the ground above your pipes for visible signs of leaks.

Toilet cistern bag - this device, available from DIY stores, when filled with water and inserted in the water cistern of your toilet displaces water volume in the tank so that every time you flush the toilet, less water is used.

Fix dripping taps and hosepipes promptly - replace washers and fix overflows to avoid water wastage.

Check water meters - Carry out ‘night flow’ tests on water meters to identify possible leaks. If the night usage is unusually high or the counter is still running when everything is turned off, you may have a leak

Running taps - do not leave taps unattended when running

“Conserving water is easy! Not only will it help the environment, but it will probably save you money as well.”

WATER CONSUMPTION PER SCHEME

 

Understanding the domestic water allocation.

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